George Pataki

If early voter turnout figures are any indication, thousands of Jewish voters not excited about Gov. George Pataki stayed home rather than vote for Democrat H. Carl McCall or Independence Party candidate Thomas Golisano.
Preliminary returns show a steep drop in turnout in heavily Jewish neighborhoods of New York City last week, compared to the last statewide race.

Calling his narrow defeat by Mayor Michael Bloomberg last year a "fluke," Mark Green says he's often urged to return to public office.
And while he insists he has made no decision about a 2005 rematch or a rumored bid the following year for state attorney general, the former public advocate seems happy to encourage speculation.

A few weeks ago, Gov. George Pataki traveled to Maimonides Medical Center in Borough Park to symbolically "sign" a measure requiring insurers to cover the cost of treatments for infertility: a measure of great interest to the Orthodox Jewish community.

H. Carl McCall would do away with closed-door decision making in Albany if elected governor and work with members of Congress on a "New York strategy" for advocating policy on international issues, he told The Jewish Week.
"I'm not going to approve policy issues or budget measures that have not been subject to legislative hearings and public scrutiny," said McCall, addressing the power of the governor, Senate majority leader and Assembly speaker to decide virtually all state business in secret.

Now that H. Carl McCall is the uncontested Democratic candidate for governor, the extent of Jewish support for his candidacy is expected to come under close scrutiny at a crucial moment in black-Jewish political relations.
McCall, the state comptroller who would be New York's first African-American governor (and the second in the nation's history) was expected to win overwhelmingly among Jews in Tuesday's Democratic primary, making what some viewed as an important statement in the wake of two divisive congressional races in the south.

Lenora Fulani isn't running for anything this year, but the Marxist activist and frequent candidate (who has made controversial statements about Jews, Israel and the Sept. 11 attacks) is fast becoming one of the most talked-about personalities on the political scene.
That's got Jewish leaders worried about elected officials turning a blind eye for quick political gain.

If the black-Latino coalition forged in last year's mayoral race holds together this year, it could spell trouble for state Sen. Eric Schneiderman. The two-term Democrat is facing former Councilman Guillermo Linares, the first Dominican-American elected to public office here, in September's primary for a district that includes areas of northern Manhattan and the Bronx.
With African-American gubernatorial hopeful Carl McCall on the ticket and Latinos running in several local races, minority turnout could bode well for Linares.

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
Today the Politico is reporting that former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) has “dipped toes in 2012 Iowa waters.”
Here’s an easy prediction: a lot of Jewish Republicans will be happy with the possible return to big-time electoral politics of the former lawmaker, who is hawkishly pro-Israel and who worked closely with some pro-Israel groups during his years in the Senate.

Monday, February 23rd, 2009
James Besser in Washington
Does anybody want to take up a collection to rent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand a couple of Jewish advisers? They’re not that expensive these days, and they could do her a world of good.